Washington State’s position remained unchanged in the playoff rankings released Tuesday, but with each passing week, we get clarity on the obstacles facing WSU.

In addition to beating Arizona and Washington and winning the conference championship, the Cougars clearly need:

Notre Dame to lose.
Alabama to win the SEC.
Both Oklahoma and West Virginia to lose.

If that scenario unfolds, one-loss WSU would have a reasonable chance.

The release of the selection committee rankings brought news of a different kind, as well. The following day, Mike Aresco, commissioner of the American conference, told ESPN that he favors an eight-team playoff — a shift in his long-held position favoring the four-team structure.

Anytime a commissioner breaks ranks, it’s noteworthy. And Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples took a deep dive into the topic on Thursday.

“The Big 12’s Bob Bowlsby and the Pac-12’s Larry Scott aren’t doing their jobs if they’re fine with a four-team playoff. They are actively harming their leagues every second they stand behind a four-team playoff.”

Later, Staples digs into individual circumstances. His view of the Pac-12 is revealing, in that it shows the national perception of the conference (which is similar to the regional perception).

“With Scott, it’s unclear how much he or the Pac-12’s presidents care that the league was left out of the playoff in 2015 and ’17. Washington State, the only one-loss team in the Pac-12 now, has virtually no chance to make the playoff without the kind of upsets that would make the earth spin off its axis.

“The league seems to fall farther behind every day, but there doesn’t seem to be as much angst over that as there does in the Big 12. Perhaps the Pac-12 really is more concerned about water polo national titles than football national titles.

“But if Scott and the presidents care at all about the biggest revenue generator, they probably should advocate for a system that guarantees the Pac-12’s inclusion.”

Bottom line: This falls on the presidents and chancellors.

Scott could be a football flag-bearer but hasn’t felt the need, or doesn’t have the desire, to assume that role.

Without a clear directive from the campuses, it’s entirely possible the Pac-12 will maintain its indifferent view (compared to the other Power Fives) of football success and the football postseason.

Two new presidents, Washington State’s Kirk Schulz and Arizona’s Robert Robbins, bring football blood to the CEO table: Schultz ran the show at Kansas State, while Robbins grew up in Mississippi and attended Ole Miss.

If there is to be a change in conference ethos, it must come from the bosses. Tucson and Pullman might be the first places to look.

Last week: 3-2Season: 32-35-1Five-star special: 2-5

All picks against the spreadLines taken from vegasinsider.com (for entertainment purposes only – unless it’s not)

Arizona State at OregonLine: Oregon -3.5 (total: 64)Record ATS: Oregon 3-6, Arizona State 6-4Trends: Oregon has won 10 of the past 11 head-to-head. (ASU’s last victory in Eugene came in 2004.)Comment: Based on location and rosters, the Ducks should win by at least a touchdown. But Oregon has gotten worse over the past month and ASU has gotten better. Can’t believe I’m typing this, but it’s awfully easy to envision a Sun Devils victory, especially considering the ideal weather conditions expected.Pick: Arizona State

Utah at ColoradoLine: Utah -7 (total: 48)Record ATS: Utah 6-3, Colorado 5-4Trends: Colorado hasn’t won in six weeks.Comment: The first road start for Utah freshman quarterback Jason Shelley is the only complicating issue in the analysis. I expect the Utes to reduce high-risk plays, use the running game to set up play action, and let Chase Hansen and Co. squeeze a CU offense that looks out of sorts.Pick: Utah

Stanford at CalLine: Stanford -2 (total: 45)Record ATS: Stanford 3-6, Cal 6-3Trends: Stanford has won eight in a row outright in the rivalry and covered the spread in five of the past six.Comment: First team to 20 wins? Cal won’t shut Stanford down; it’s reasonable to expect 17-24 points from the Cardinal given Bryce Love’s improving health and the playmakers in the passing game. But can Cal generate enough offense? Based on the past three weeks, I’m skeptical.Pick: Stanford

**** PSA: Big Game is in jeopardy because of bad air quality from the Camp Fire. Check airnow and plug in Berkeley: Any reading over 200 is highly problematic for a lengthy outdoor event. If the same conditions exist Saturday that were present Thursday evening, I’d expect a postponement. (Dec. 1 might work.)

USC at UCLALine: USC -3.5 (total: 55)Record ATS: USC 3-7, UCLA 4-6Trends: Per oddsshark, the Bruins and Trojans have gone under the total in 10 of their past 12 matchups.Comment: One could argue, if the Bruins likes their chances with Chip Kelly vs. Clay Helton, that a loss would serve the long-haul cause better than a win. Avoiding mistakes will be the key Saturday, given how frequently the teams short-circuit with their execution. Could be a mesmerizing mess.Pick: UCLA

Oregon State at WashingtonLine: Washington -33.5 (total: 58)Record ATS: Oregon State 5-4, Washington 2-7Trends: Largest spread for an OSU game since the Beavers opened at Ohio State as a 40-point dog … and gave up 77.Comment: That’s a load of points for a conference game, but circumstances make the Huskies appealing: They’re off a bye and should be recharged; the Beavers are coming off back-to-backs against USC and Stanford and will be anything but fresh. Expect a dominant performance from UW that helps frame the build-up to the Apple Cup.Pick: Washington

Arizona at Washington StateLine: Washington State -10.5 (total: 62.5)Record ATS: Arizona 5-4, Washington State 8-1Trends: Point totals for the winning team in past four matchups: 59 (WSU), 45 (WSU), 69 (WSU), 58 (Arizona).Comment: I’ve been on the Leach train for weeks, but this feels like the time to back off precisely because all signs point to a resounding WSU victory. Combine the looming Apple Cup with Arizona’s bye, and this #Pac12AfterDark affair could be closer than expected in the fourth quarter.Pick: Arizona

Five-star special: Utah. The Utes are playing for the division; Colorado looks like a demoralized team.

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Jon Wilner has been covering college sports for decades and is an AP top-25 football and basketball voter as well as a Heisman Trophy voter. He was named Beat Writer of the Year in 2013 by the Football Writers Association of America for his coverage of the Pac-12, won first place for feature writing in 2016 in the Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest and is a five-time APSE honoree.

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